Darren Roy's primary passion and calling is to promote the 'priceless privilege' of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. This isn't about simply studying Christ intellectually or academically, but truly knowing Him in relationship; including walking in the Spirit and following Him daily. Darren is an ordained minister with Servants of the Lord Ministries, whose commission is to find people with a heart after God and then to help them with practical teaching that works.
In the UK, Darren is accredited by Churches in Communities International, an accountability body that promotes good-standing within the Free Churches Group. In his travels throughout the world, Darren has worked with believers across the denominational spectrum and continues to do so, aiming himself to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This has led to a discipleship network where saints are equipped to first know Jesus and then to serve.
Darren is married to Carol who he describes as his ‘greatest encourager, best friend, and intercessor’.
They lead an evangelical church in England and Darren also promotes the priceless privilege of knowing Jesus. They both are passionate about sharing the keys to developing a relationship with God.
As a child I was raised as a church-going Methodist, attending the local Boys' Brigade and Wesleyan Sunday School. It was there that I gained an initial insight into the God of the Bible, although for me, Christianity then was more of a Sunday thing than a lifestyle. By God’s grace, in my early teens I was introduced to a living Christ through an evangelical school friend. He would often talk about God, being saved, and the possibility of a relationship which I hadn’t even considered before. I then briefly attended less formal home-group type meetings.
Sadly, I didn't make the most of this opportunity. When I left home and became old enough to make my own decisions, I spent many years far away like the ‘prodigal son’. During this time I made many mistakes and resisted God’s call on my life. I always knew deep down that He wanted me to be in ministry but I’d fallen for the lie that God just wanted to restrict my life and make me miserable. I entertained the thought that God was against all the fun things in life. The prodigal years seemed like freedom initially but it didn't take long to become trapped in all the things that I hated as child; I became everything I said I would never be.
I made many errors and went through some painful experiences as a consequence to my rebellion. Thankfully however, through a series of events I came to a place of brokenness, at which point I cried out to God in sorrow. I had been the master of my own life for too long and there was overwhelming evidence of the foolishness of my own choices. Finally those rebellious years came to a God-ordained end when I begged to be one of God’s servants and He welcomed me home like a son. I received mercy beyond anything I expected or deserved, and in a split second God filled me with a real and overwhelming love that ignited a passion within me to know Him in reality!
Being a recipient of God’s grace and having been given another chance, the cry He placed deep in my heart was to really know Him. I didn’t want to be a hypocrite and just pretend, so I prayed that He would show me how to actually develop a relationship with Him. I had heard many believers tell me that Christianity was a relationship with God and that they knew Him to some measure, but I wanted someone to show me how to make that possible. I mean, if God is really the living God then speaking to me couldn’t be too hard for Him, right? I later discovered that He was communicating all the time and the only hindrance to hearing was me. I must add for the record, the keys are clearly in the Bible, only in the Bible, and subject to the Bible's authority. It's about making the most of the precious gift of 'eternal life' (John 17:3 AMPC).
In response to God’s clear direction, I moved 200 miles away to attend a church back in my home town. I joined this church just at the right time - God’s time! They had recently held a seminar on 'Knowing God'. This was an answer to the prayer of my heart and this is where I discovered the teaching of Pastor Joseph C. Hedgecock and Servants of the Lord Ministries (SOLM). It was the first time I had met a ministry that was not just saying they knew God but were showing people how to actually know Him. Joseph was passing on the keys he had discovered in the years that he had walked with God and his life demonstrated the fruit. His book entitled ‘My Sheep Hear My Voice’ became an invaluable gift for a baby Christian like me who just wanted to know my Father. The book isn’t an academic book based on theories, but it’s clear, detailed, scriptural and instructional for those who want to have a genuine walk with God.
After a number of years training under a local pastor, I had the privilege to develop further with the International Coordinator of SOLM, Dr Keith Jenkins. He oversaw my discipleship to make sure I was a ‘doer of the word’ with spiritual fruit in all circumstances. It was an honour to carry his bags around the world and see God provide in everyday situations as well as the more perilous. The training included plenty of trials and Jesus' commands for disciples became real; reading Matthew 16:24-25, Luke 14:33 and Romans 5:3-5 might give you some insight! I was ordained in 2013 as a minister of the Gospel which meant I met the criteria for public ministry. I was later ordained in my primary calling which means I consistently live and teach the commission of abiding in Christ, trusting Him and obeying Him. There are no graduates in God's school of discipleship, so I'm always learning.
I am still an assistant to Dr Keith to whom I remain regularly accountable, which is a blessing to literally remain on the 'straight and narrow'. His teaching style is said to be 'uncompromising' and 'direct' which is helpful in many ways, and I have always valued his personal input and example, as well as the time I had with the late Joseph Hedgecock. Soon after my initial ordination I was assigned to oversee a church and take on the role of pastor and chaplain, which I continue today. The board of the church also help me to remain accountable. In that role I also have a recognised ordination with an endorsing body called Churches in Communities International. Their founder, Dr Hugh Osgood, has been a great friend to our church and a personal encourager to me.
When it comes to which 'flavour' of Christianity I belong, I don’t feel I can just relate to any one particular group. I just want to be in the Church which Jesus is building. My local church is clearly evangelical with moderate charismatic influences, but for me to be personally marked within a Christian brand just isn’t enough. I aspire to grow in the knowledge of truth regardless of which denominational marker that crosses; indeed, Jesus IS the Truth! In simplest terms I’d describe myself as a follower of Christ and it's Him I want to follow. My aim in life is to embrace the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and to progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him (Philippians 3:8 AMPC).
My wife and I serve to help others make the most of that priceless privilege.
*Priceless: adjective;
extremely valuable or important, more valuable than any amount of money; precious; having incalculable spiritual worth.
*Farlex collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.